Conservation Entrepreneurship

Introduction

Conservation Entrepreneurship is a conservation skills course of the Tropical Conservation and Development Program at the University of Florida.

The central theme of this course is: “How can we apply private sector approaches to promote the goals of Tropical Conservation and Development?” It includes an introduction to both organizational management practices, leadership, and income generation. The course emphasizes partnership and social network approaches, and is relevant to advocacy and policy initiatives as well as commercial enterprises. Also, major part of the course is development of a business plan for a student-selected enterprise linked to conservation and development.

Key Learning Objectives

Understand the requirements for successful operation of an income-generating enterprise.
Appreciate the practical challenges and difficulties of small-scale enterprises in developing countries, and consider how these can be addressed.
Learn personal skills to be a more effective team member and leader.
Become familiar with various aspects of managing conservation and development programs and non-profit organizations.

This is a “conservation skills” course intended for grad students with little or no business background who envision themselves working in a conservation organization or community enterprise and would like to learn business skills that will be useful in that work. The “Conservation skills” courses are offered by the Tropical Conservation and Development Program to provide students with professional abilities that are essential to the effective implementation of Tropical Conservation and Development, but that would not normally be addressed in a natural or social science academic curriculum. This TCD Conservation Skills course applies leadership, management and business tools and practices to develop strong conservation and development organizations, enterprises, and programs. It emphasizes partnership and social network approaches, and is relevant to advocacy and policy initiatives as well as income-generating projects.

Course Concepts

What is Entrepreneurship?
- Social entrepreneurs
Business plans -- examples and ideas
Understanding business
- Brand value
- Greening business
- Comparison of non-profits and for-profits
Case studies
- Deja Shoes
- Perez Companc -- a large holding company institutes an Environmental Management system
- Local Gainesville social entrepreneurs: Volta coffee, Indigo green home products, Alternatives crafts from around the world
Customer orientation / Value proposition

Business Planning
Community enterprises from developing countries Case Studies
Organizational management
- working as teams
Personal skills
- Mission
- Leadership
- Time management
Monitoring and Evaluation
Marketing

Conservation Entrepreneurship

Contents

Introduction

Key Learning Objectives

Course Concepts

Table of Contents